Gunmen Kill Policeman in North Nigeria Raid

Gunmen have killed a policeman and wounded another in a raid on a police station in a town in northern Nigeria's Bauchi state, a police officer said on Sunday, the latest violence in the volatile region.

The gunmen launched the attack late Saturday in the town of Itas, about 200 kilometers (130 miles) from the state capital Bauchi, hurling explosives into the police station and opening fire on policemen, leading to an hour-long shootout.

"The gunmen threw explosives into the police station, setting it on fire," and killing a police inspector inside the building at the time, said the police officer who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak about the incident.

Another policeman was wounded in the shootout and two nearby police homes were burnt.

Bauchi state police commissioner Mohammed Ladan confirmed the attack but said he had no details yet.

It was not clear who was behind the incident but Boko Haram Islamists have been blamed for series of attacks on police stations and banks in the area although criminal gangs have also carried out similar raids under the guise of the sect.

On Friday, gunmen killed three policemen and set ablaze three churches and a school in the town of Bonny Yadi in the volatile nearby state of Yobe, a military spokesman said.

Nigeria's northeast has been hard hit by deadly attacks blamed on Boko Haram.

Violence linked to the group is believed to have claimed more than 2,800 lives since 2009, including killings by the security forces.